


can't change what the seasons bring

by growlery writes (growlery)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alcohol as a Coping Mechanism, Canon-typical Alcohol Consumption, M/M, non-graphic mention of throwing up, soft romo nonsense: valentine's edition, temporary dex/omc, this makes it sound Grim but i promise it is deeply deeply silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:28:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22628641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/growlery/pseuds/growlery%20writes
Summary: They get back after winter break, and Dex has done something to his hair, and he was hot before, but now he’s, like, hot and he doesn’t look like a grumpy old man.“New year, new me,” Dex says dryly, and Nursey might be having kind of a crisis about it.
Relationships: Derek "Nursey" Nurse/William "Dex" Poindexter
Comments: 27
Kudos: 342





	can't change what the seasons bring

They get back after winter break, and Dex has done _something_ to his hair, and he was hot before, but now he’s, like, hot _and_ he doesn’t look like a grumpy old man. 

“New year, new me,” Dex says dryly, and Nursey might be having kind of a crisis about it. 

*

Dex also has a boyfriend now, and Nursey’s having a crisis about that, too. It means Dex isn’t around a bunch, which is _weird_ , they live together and Nursey _barely_ sees him, but sometimes he brings Ryan round the Haus and that’s even weirder. 

Ryan’s, like, nice or whatever. He’s in Dex and Chowder’s classes, and he’s smart and sweet and clearly has a lot in common with Dex. He’s just… kinda boring? Nursey definitely doesn’t think this because he’s jealous. Like, yeah, he’s jealous, but totally independently of that fact, Ryan is also kind of boring. Dex deserves better than boring. 

*

It gets to February, and Dex and his boyfriend are still together, and then it's the pre-Valentines kegster, and Nursey gets kinda fucked up. Not because of Dex. This is just what he needs sometimes, to get out of his own head, to make everything soft and only buzzy in a good way. 

One of the taddies is on Nursey Patrol. Nursey’s not sure which one, because he gives them the slip, like, immediately. Bitty ends up finding Nursey a few hours in and gently but firmly putting him to bed, but then Nursey needs to puke. They make it to the bathroom, and he hangs his head over the toilet and tries not to hate himself. He hates throwing up, it's awful and gross, but the relief when it's done, shit. How cleansed you feel, if only mentally. 

Bitty cleans him up, talking softly in his sweet, soothing voice, and Nursey loves him to death. Nursey would die for him. Right now, he just snuffles his head into Bitty’s shoulder and sighs gently as Bitty strokes his hair. 

On the way back, they bump into Dex. 

“I'll take him, Bits, you get back to the party,” he says, and gets Nursey back in bed, except he puts him in Dex's bed. Presumably because he doesn't trust Nursey on the stairs. Which is fair. Dex shouldn't trust him with the stairs. Dex shouldn't trust him with anything. No one should. 

Fuck, he drank too much. He's fucking maudlin. 

Dex laughs softly. “Yeah, you did.” 

“Why are you still here,” Nursey moans, “go back to your boyfriend.” 

Dex coughs. “He's not. We're not. Any more.” 

“Whaaaaat,” Nursey goes. “When did this happen?” 

Dex shrugs. “A few days ago? It was mutual. We, ah. We wanted different things.” 

“That sucks, bro, I’m sorry.”

Dex shrugs again. “I wasn't in it for the right reasons. I was trying to... get over... someone. And it's kinda shitty to involve someone else in that, it turns out. I realised that about the same time he realised he could do better.” 

“Fuck that, no he couldn't,” Nursey says, and he's way too sincere but he can blame that on the alcohol, right? 

Dex hasn't been looking at him but he looks at him now, gives him this sad, tired smile, and Nursey wants to find whoever Dex is trying to get over and like, shake them, because they are obviously fools who don't know what they're missing out on. 

“Means a lot that you think that, Nurse,” Dex says, gently sarcastic, and Nursey shakes his head hard. Which makes his vision do some really funky things, but this is more important than being able to see clearly. 

“I'm serious. You're. You're good, Dex. You're really fucking good.” 

“Nursey,” Dex says, this look on his face suddenly that Nursey is too drunk to even try and understand. It looks like he’s going to say something else, holding eye contact with Nursey for long, long seconds, but then he just sighs. “Why are we talking about me, you're the one who got schwasted.”

“Ugh, boring,” Nursey goes, wrinkling his nose. “I'm tired of talking about the same fucking things and feeling the same fucking things. I just. Want it to stop, you know?”

And it did. For a while, while he was drunk, but it wears off quick. 

“Anything else I can do? Anything you do want?” Dex asks, and Nursey wants a lot, but Dex is fucking cut up about the asshole who doesn't want him back and Nursey's not gonna fuck with him by doing something stupid like kissing him. 

Instead, he shuffles up and pats the side of the bed, and Dex kicks his shoes off and gets in next to him and Nursey wraps arms around him and breathes, slow. 

“Good night,” he says, and Dex dips his chin into the top of Nursey’s head, says, “‘night.”

*

Of course, then it’s Nursey’s birthday. There’s a small party at the Haus, no tub juice but lots of pie, and Bitty ruffles Nursey’s hair and sticks a _Kiss Me, It’s My Birthday_ badge on him. 

“Go get ‘em, birthday boy,” Bitty grins, and plants a smacker on Nursey’s lips. 

Nursey fucking loves kissing. He loves to kiss just to kiss, casual and unhurried and going nowhere else, just soft mouths on mouths, maybe hands in each other’s hair. He floats around the Haus, talking and dancing and kissing and being kissed, and it’s the most settled and calm he’s felt in, like, forever. 

He doesn't see Dex til pretty late in the evening. Nursey wasn't looking for him, exactly, it's just a little weird that he doesn't see him earlier, and when he does it's as he's coming out of the bathroom just as Dex is coming out of their room. 

"Hey," Nursey says, and Dex kind of… freezes. 

"Hey," he says, and nothing else. Nursey frowns. 

"You all right, bud?" he asks, concerned. Maybe that's why Nursey hasn't seen him all night. 

Dex’s gaze flickers, and Nursey looks down at the badge on his chest and grins. “Yeah, gift from Bitty. How about it, eh?”

Dex looks hesitant for long enough that Nursey’s going to tell him it’s okay, obviously he doesn’t have to, obviously he gets it if Dex doesn’t want to kiss him. But as he opens his mouth to get the words out, Dex steps in close, cups Nursey’s face, and kisses him. 

It’s short, mostly chaste. Nursey’s had objectively much better kisses tonight, but none of them made his head spin like this. He makes a noise in his throat, leaning in, but in the next second, Dex’s mouth is gone. When Nursey opens his eyes, the rest of him is gone, too, backing away into their shared room. When their eyes meet, Dex turns and- there’s no other word for it. Flees. 

Nursey follows him, obviously. What else was he going to do? What else _could_ he do? 

The room is empty, but the window is open. Nursey climbs out next to him. Dex tenses, but doesn't say anything. They're both quiet for a moment. 

“I'm that bad a kisser, huh,” Nursey says finally, and Dex snorts. It sounds... kind of wet? is Dex crying? Nursey does not panic. He is awful with people crying. 

“Dude, I'm sorry, you didn't have to- I shouldn't have-” 

“Shut the fuck up,” Dex says, “it's fine. Go back to your party.” 

“It's my birthday, I'll sit on the roof with my best bud if I want to.” 

Dex exhales heavily. Nursey still has no idea how to deal with this. 

“Is it,” he starts, then swallows. “Is it that person you like, because it’s Valentine’s Day and you can't, can't have them, and you had to kiss me instead, and-”

“Jesus, Nurse,” Dex says, and Nursey doesn't know what he did wrong, what he said wrong, but Dex isn't saying anything else, just staring out into the night, blinking rapidly. 

“Do you want me to go,” Nursey asks. “I can go, I'm just making this worse.” 

Dex sighs. “You're not, I'm the one that's fucking this up. I was supposed to- but I'm still fucking-” And his breath hitches, and then he says, “I'm sorry.” 

“You're fine, dude, I'm fine sitting out here.” 

Dex’s breaths are heavy, and a little shaky. “Not for that.” 

“Then what…?” Nursey asks, bewildered, and Dex snorts. 

“You're gonna make me say it? Dick fucking move, Nurse.” 

"No, I really- I have no idea what you're talking about,” Nursey says, and Dex looks at him, incredulous. 

“Because I'm supposed to be getting over you,” Dex says, slow, “but I can't.”

Nursey falls off the roof. It's not too high a drop and he lands on the grass and the impact rockets through him but he's pretty sure nothing's broken, it just _hurts_. 

And then he blinks, and Dex is standing over him. 

“Did you jump off the roof?” Nursey asks, dazed. 

Dex sounds kinda hysterical when he says, “Did you throw yourself off the roof because I'm in love with you? That's dramatic even for you, Nurse.” 

“You're in love with me,” Nursey repeats, still shocked, though that’s probably mostly the fall. 

Dex helps him sit up, checks his bones, confirms Nursey's suspicions that he’s still in one piece. Dex’s touch is so gentle, his face so close and torn up with worry, and he's in love with Nursey. 

“I was jealous of myself,” Nursey realises, slow, “holy shit, Dex, I'm so fucking in love with you.”

“Fuck,” Dex breathes, and this bright, beautiful smile blooms on his face. He starts to lean in, which, fuck, _yes_ , but nearly immediately he lurches backwards, which, _nooo_. “Okay. Fuck. I really want to kiss you. But also we should check you're not concussed.” 

“I didn't even fall on my head,” Nursey protests, “I'm fine. I am definitely fine to be kissed.” 

Dex gets him to his feet, and he’s still smiling, fond and amused and in love with Nursey. Holy _shit._ “Let's get you inside first, okay?”

Inside, Bitty asks, “What happened????” The extra question marks are audible. 

“Nursey fell off the roof,” Dex says, at the same time Nursey says, “Dex is in love with me.” 

Dex’s face is lobster red. “You're in love with me too, asshole.”

“Does that count as a pet name?” Ford wonders. “That should count as a pet name.” 

“Totally a fineable offence, bro,” Tango agrees, grinning. 

Nursey scowls. “We're going upstairs to our room to make out, fine _that_.”

“Oh, honey,” Bitty says sweetly, “we will.”

Nursey tugs Dex up the stairs to the sound of everyone cackling. 


End file.
